Te Reo Māori game gets native trees in the ground

The team at Trees That Count has found a unique way to get native trees in the ground this lockdown, with a new card game that hones New Zealanders’ knowledge of conservation and te reo Māori at the same time.

“This lockdown a lot of parents have been searching out educational games. It’s perfect timing that we’ve partnered with Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission) to release a reo Māori version of our popular “Tree Snap” game, Taukapu Rākau,” says Trees That Count Chair Joris de Bres.

Trees That Count, the native tree marketplace backed by national environmental charity Project Crimson Trust, is celebrating Conservation Week and Te Wiki o te Reo Māori this September with this new edition of its hugely popular game.

“At Trees That Count everything we do is about putting more native trees in the ground to thrive, so with every pack purchased we’ve committed to plant one native tree.”

With the generous support of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, 750 free packs of Taukapu Rākau will be distributed to schools and kura nationwide. Teachers can claim their pack (one per school) on the Trees That Count website, right on time for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.

“Young people are critical to the revitalisation of te reo Māori and we are delighted to support this initiative that weaves together our national language, caring for our environment and our children,” said Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori chief executive, Ngahiwi Apanui.

“Whether we’re in lockdown or not, we hope students and teachers can join us at 12pm on Tuesday 14th September 2021 for a moment to celebrate our unity as a nation and also our national language, te reo Māori.”

Each deck of cards includes illustrations and information about some of Aotearoa’s most iconic native trees.

“This is a great way to learn about native trees, have some fun and contribute to one of the very best ways of having a lasting and positive impact on the environment—planting native trees,” says Joris de Bres.

Featured trees include the iconic pōhutukawa, kauri, and twelve others.

Trees That Count already has an English version of the game available on its Shopify page.

Since its inception, Trees That Count has enabled the planting of more than three quarter of a million native trees, with the help of its corporate partners and hundreds of ordinary New Zealanders.

Taukapu Rākau (Tree Snap) is available for pre-order now.

More about Trees That Count

Trees That Count is a programme of charitable organisation Project Crimson Trust. Trees That Count runs the country’s first tree marketplace which connects funded and gifted trees to deserving community groups, iwi, local councils, schools and individuals looking to strengthen their own planting projects.

Trees That Count is generously supported by The Tindall Foundation and Te Uru Rākau through the One Billion Trees programme, alongside the many businesses and individuals who are donating through the marketplace.

https://www.treesthatcount.co.nz/

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